When it comes to cannabis, there is never a dull news cycle in the rich cultural tapestry that makes up Europe. Here’s a selection of European cannabis stories that broke in November. Dutch seed companies forging global partnerships Two of the Netherland’s most successful seed companies announced partnerships with companies beyond European borders this month. […]]]>

When it comes to cannabis, there is never a dull news cycle in the rich cultural tapestry that makes up Europe. Here’s a selection of European cannabis stories that broke in November.

Dutch seed companies forging global partnerships

Two of the Netherland’s most successful seed companies announced partnerships with companies beyond European borders this month.

The joint venture will see all three companies owning part of Canopy Growth’s huge indoor grow facility – Agripharm – in Creemore, Ontario. In return, Canopy Growth will have the option to purchase all cannabis products produced by Agripharm for distribution in Canada giving Green House and Organa a significant Canadian presence.

Also announced in November, Barnies Farm – who run a successful seed company and multiple coffeeshops in Amsterdam – has invested $2.1 million (€1.8 million) in the Tel Aviv-listed, Israel-based medical cannabis outfit Medivie Therapeutic Ltd. This is a licensing deal in exchange for shares with Medivie being able to use Barnies Farm branding on its future products.

Medivie has partnered with an unnamed Israeli Kibbutz to grow medical cannabis in the north of Israel. Dozens of Israel’s Kibbutzim are now attempting to become medical cannabis growers, seeking to benefit from the fast growing global market.

Malta to improve access to medical cannabis

Maltese Prime Minister announced that the cabinet has agreed on new legislation to improve access to medicinal cannabis.

This followed calls from cannabis law reform groups and MPs saying patients are forced onto the black market as there are no legal ways for them to get cannabis as a medicine despite it being legalised for medicinal use since 2015.

Poland allows pharmacies to distribute imported cannabis

“It is estimated that up to 300,000 patients could qualify for medical marijuana treatment,” said a spokesperson for the Polish Pharmaceutical Chamber. Poland has 15,000 pharmacies, and 90% of them are authorised to make prescription drugs.

Greece is digging cannabis

Greece’s ideal cannabis growing climate has recently had a resurgence of growing industrial hemp for flour, fibres and CBD. It’s also expected that legislation for medical cannabis will be passed by the end of the year.

Bloomberg reports that more than 1.5 billion euros ($1.74 billion) has been injected into projects to build facilities for the cultivation and manufacture of cannabis in Greece. It’s expected this investment will give Greece a significant share of the global cannabis market, worth up to $240 billion within the next ten years. This will be a boost to the Greek economy as it struggles with economic recovery after a third bailout.

“Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is counting on investment to spur economic recovery and allow the country to exit a third bailout program. Forecasts call for growth close to 2 percent this year, rising to 2.5 percent in 2018.

A single campus of 12 to 15 cannabis greenhouses could create 400 jobs, according to a task force preparing a draft bill to legalize medical cannabis in Greece. Unemployment in the country has been over 20 percent since November 2011, one of the highest levels in the European Union.”

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Yiannis Tsironis, even went as far as to say that cannabis should be cultivated legally – “even on someone’s balcony”. But, as of now, there are no bills prepared for recreational use.

It’s a refreshing sign that politicians are openly speaking out on what was once a strictly taboo topic. Indeed, a Greek friend was telling me that the younger generation are very open to the concept of legal cannabis for medicinal and recreational use. Every day, more of the youth join the voting population.

High Times returns to Amsterdam

After a hiatus lasting several years, High Times returned to Amsterdam to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its famous Cannabis Cup.

After cannabis was legalised in multiple states in the US – and suffering harassment from Dutch authorities – High Times decided to take a break and focus on its home turf. Now it’s back and further events are planned in Jamaica and Spain in the coming months.

This will make High Times one of the leading cannabis trade show organisations on the planet.

The UK goes to pot (unfortunately, not the green variety)

Meanwhile, the UK seems to be all over the place when it comes to cannabis.

Over the past few decades, Release has had some prominent supporters, such as Richard Branson, David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney.

Fifty years later and the establishment is still signalling it intends to continue its failed prohibitionist policies, with Prime Minister Theresa May calling for a continued “War against Drugs”, despite the government’s own research indicating its failure.

They encourage readers to rat on their neighbours via an anonymous tip-off service called “Crimestoppers”. I can just picture the old dears sipping tea whilst watching their favourite soap stars getting high, then calling Crimstoppers to report their neighbours for doing exactly the same thing.

Talk about mixed signals.

The Dutch love a good social experiment

The Dutch, who have been tinkering with their cannabis coffeeshop experiment for quite some time, are taking things a step further.

Their new coalition government plans to allow local authorities to regulate small-scale production in an attempt to take criminal gangs out of the cannabis supply chain.

Councils have already begun drafting their own proposals on how they want to organise the supply chain, and it seems there will be a variety of locations and approaches for them to study.

Italian Rastas are happy, but European Hindus are not

An Italian court acquitted a Rastafarian man found with 58 grams of cannabis in his possession because he was using the ‘sacred herb’ to meditate.

The man had a “meditation room” at home, where he listened to Rasta music on a record player whilst smoking weed.

I have one of those too. Last I checked, it’s called a “living room”.

Rastafarianism teaches that the cannabis plant has holy powers, and they use it during meditation sessions to enhance a sense of unity and spirituality.

But it’s not all good news for religious groups when it comes to cannabis in Europe. Hindus are not happy about the increased use of images of Lord Ganesha and other Hindu deities on smoking paraphernalia, and are urging the European Commission to do something about it.

I cannot think why anyone would put such a serious image as a psychedelic pink elephant with a human body and four arms sitting on a baby pink lily pad on a bong. It’s totally inappropriate.

As the legal cannabis industry continues to expand, so does the demand for niche markets within the sector. One of those demands is the increasing amount of space that is needed for cultivation and processing facilities, and also retail space for dispensary locations. With the rise of extremely popular online shopping experiences such as Amazon, […]]]>

As the legal cannabis industry continues to expand, so does the demand for niche markets within the sector. One of those demands is the increasing amount of space that is needed for cultivation and processing facilities, and also retail space for dispensary locations. With the rise of extremely popular online shopping experiences such as Amazon, more and more shopping malls are closing their doors due to bankruptcy. Because of this, mall owners often use alternative methods to find tenants.

One such example of this is currently occurring in Copper Country Mall in Houghton, Michigan. According to M-Live.com, the mall’s owner is interested in entering into the cannabis industry by bringing a grow facility to the mall. In December, the township will decide on whether permits will be issued for the requested facility in the former JC Penney’s department store.

Due to its illegality at the federal level and the unfortunate stigma still attached to the plant medicine, managers of shopping malls decline most proposals for legal cannabis dispensaries. Even though retail dispensaries, and especially grow facilities, in former department stores and malls are currently a rarity in the U.S., it could very well change within the next few years. Sooner or later, these mall owners will have to admit the reality of the situation: more and more Americans prefer to buy items online than they do in stores. At this time, legal cannabis cannot be purchased and shipped through the mail without the sender experiencing legal troubles. It’s a no-brainer of a business move – it’s simply an objective fact that a cannabis dispensary will sell more inventory that just about any other product, and the sales figures in legal states reflect that reality.

Michigan is currently experiencing changes in their medical marijuana licensing regulations that are posing challenges and causing confusion, thus muddying the waters even further. Communities can opt in or out if they would like to adopt local ordinances permitting legal cannabis stores in their area.

The Copper Country Mall is managed by commercial development and leasing firm, Moyle. Currently at the mall, you’ll find a Veteran’s center, a Department of Health and Human Services, a Gogebic Community College, a laser tag arena, a cinema and Dunham’s. Most of those locations sound like pretty solid demographics that might be interested in buying some medical cannabis.

A proposed medical cannabis dispensary in Pennsylvania is having even worse luck. Mall owner Simon Property Group is taking would-be dispensary owners to court. Simon hopes to prevent the opening of the dispensary, which would be located in what used to be a restaurant outlet at the former Franklin Mills Mall.

Joe Klare discusses the latest on legalization’s progress in Canada, what San Francisco wants to do about recreational marijuana and new opposition to legalization efforts in Michigan. 12-1-2017 – Ep. 20 | Marijuana Times Show https://www.marijuanatimes.org/canadas-legalization-bill-passed-another-hurdle-towards-reality/ http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/SF-supervisors-pass-recreational-marijuana-rules-12390773.php https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/29/organized-opposition-marijuana-legalization/906925001/ Sponsor: http://naturecidecannabis.com/]]>

Joe Klare discusses the latest on legalization’s progress in Canada, what San Francisco wants to do about recreational marijuana and new opposition to legalization efforts in Michigan.

Canoga Park, CA – The Med-X, Inc. management team is proud to announce the launch of The Marijuana Times Show, a daily video show, and Apple podcast. The team at The Marijuana Times continues to present itself as a leading authority in the cannabis industry news sector. The show was developed and launched in order […]]]>

Canoga Park, CA – The Med-X, Inc. management team is proud to announce the launch of The Marijuana Times Show, a daily video show, and Apple podcast. The team at The Marijuana Times continues to present itself as a leading authority in the cannabis industry news sector. The show was developed and launched in order to increase its contributors’ visibility and offer its readers more digital options to stay up to date on everything happening in the cannabis industry.

Hosted by cannabis media veteran, Joe Klare, the video show is produced and aired daily broadcasting the most up to date information as it happens. “Our readers and now viewers wanted more options. In today’s world, it is important to broadcast your message in as many ways as possible. We feel that the video show and podcast is the natural, next evolution of The Marijuana Times,” explained Joe Klare.

The show can be viewed daily on the publication’s Youtube channel, streamed from the website, as well as watched and/or listened to on Apple Podcast. As a subscriber, the viewers of The Marijuana Times Show can now go about their lives and stay up to date at the same time.

Med-X, Inc.’s COO, Matthew Mills is pleased with the growth and progress the digital publication has made over the past few years. “We started this because we thought there needed to be a place where people of all knowledge levels could get information to help progress the industry. Our writers and team have done a stand-up job reporting and planting The Marijuana Times as a leader in this industry. We started with a website, added an IOS app and now we have a daily video and podcast to continue to expanding our reach and touching new readers.” said Mills.

The new programming also offers The Marijuana Times partners more opportunities to advertise their products and services. The team at Med-X, Inc. and The Marijuana Times aim to continue their quest to spread the truth about cannabis as well as develop new and innovative ways to reach people at the same time.

Joe Klare discusses a new poll about texting while driving versus being on marijuana while driving, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper being too positive about marijuana (?) and the latest on the CBD crackdown in Indiana. 11-30-2017 – Ep. 19 | Marijuana Times Show https://www.marijuanatimes.org/people-think-texting-is-more-dangerous-than-being-under-influence-of-marijuana-while-driving/ http://www.krdo.com/news/top-stories/el-paso-county-commissioners-challenge-governor-on-marijuana/663751047 https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/28/gov-holcomb-retailers-have-60-days-remove-cbd-oil-shelves/900758001/ Sponsor: http://naturecidecannabis.com/]]>

Joe Klare discusses a new poll about texting while driving versus being on marijuana while driving, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper being too positive about marijuana (?) and the latest on the CBD crackdown in Indiana.

For over a year now, Canada has been working towards the goal of legalizing cannabis throughout the country for adult use and sale. This move came with the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2015, who promised during his campaign that legalization was on his agenda. About a year ago, the Canadian government’s legalization […]]]>

For over a year now, Canada has been working towards the goal of legalizing cannabis throughout the country for adult use and sale. This move came with the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2015, who promised during his campaign that legalization was on his agenda.

About a year ago, the Canadian government’s legalization task force turned in their recommendations on how to go about regulating marijuana. Earlier this year, ‘The Cannabis Act’, or Bill C-45, was introduced with the goal of repealing cannabis prohibition and allowing adults 18 and older to purchase the herb from a licensed dispensary.

This week, the Canada House of Commons passed a bill to legalize cannabis with a 200-82 vote – turning the bill over to the Senate next for approval.

The bill gives individual provinces the right to determine the legal age for consumption – which means it may vary from province to province even though the federally legal age will be 18. The Cannabis Act also allows individuals to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis at any time, and allows them to grow up to four plants.

It allows provinces and territories to determine where and how both cannabis oils and dried flowers can be sold in their own jurisdiction – but it does not allow for edibles like brownies, cookies, candies or drinks to be sold. It is expected that the law will be revised to include edibles within a year or so.

Issues like taxes will also be determined by each individual province – but on a federal level there is expected to be an excise tax of $1 per gram of cannabis on sales up to $10. For sales over $10, there will be a 10 percent tax.

“The Senate will bring its sober reflection to this bill and I think it’s really important to help us get this right,” Parliamentary Secretary Bill Blair told CTV earlier this month. “But we also expect to work as diligently as everyone else in the country has and in recognition that delay is unacceptable.”

Changes made to the bill so far include removing a cap on height for home-grown plants, which previously would have been allowed to be no taller than 100 centimeters. The addition of creating regulations for edibles within one year was also added by the House of Commons, as was an agreement to review the bill three years after implementation.

Overall, the changes were minor, and will not change much from the original bill – whether the Senate changes will be as few and far between we will have to wait and see. For the time being, Canadians can be happy to know their government is working diligently to end cannabis prohibition for their entire country.

According to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll, Americans think it is more dangerous to text and drive then to be high on cannabis while driving. The poll results showed that 99% of respondents felt using social media while driving is dangerous, while 98% said the same about texting and driving. When asked […]]]>

According to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll, Americans think it is more dangerous to text and drive then to be high on cannabis while driving.

The poll results showed that 99% of respondents felt using social media while driving is dangerous, while 98% said the same about texting and driving. When asked about being under the influence of cannabis while driving, 91% said that was dangerous; but only 40% of respondents thought driving while high is a contributing factor to more motor vehicle accidents.

On the surface, it seems like something that involved keeping your eyes on the road would be a less dangerous activity than something that involved taking your eyes off the road. At least people who can see what’s going on around them have a fighting chance of avoiding an accident. But this, of course, is a simplistic view of the issue of using cannabis and driving.

The fact of the matter is that a lot of factors are involved, not only in driving while high, but also when it comes to how stats on it are compiled and presented. Because of the way cannabis is absorbed by the body, you can’t just measure a blood level and determine how impaired someone is. A person with a high tolerance for cannabis who just smoked a lot of it will generally have an easier time behind the wheel than someone with little tolerance who only smoked a tiny bit of marijuana. A lot also depends on how the cannabis was ingested (smoke, vapor, edible) and how long it has been since the last ingestion. Cannabis affects everyone differently.

Compounding these problems is the fact that cannabis stays in your system long after the high has worn off. Someone who smoked a couple joints at a party on Saturday night will still have THC in their system as they drive to work Monday morning, but are they “under the influence” of cannabis or in any way impaired by the cannabis they smoked 36 hours before?

Eventually, advancing technology will likely create a better way to determine if someone is impaired by their marijuana use enough that they should not drive, but until then it’s important to remember that 1) you should never get behind a wheel if doing so puts yourself and others in danger, and 2) the amount of THC in someone’s blood in no way points to their level of impairment.